Plymouth, MI – The Dubuque Fighting Saints (29-14-2-0, 60 pts) scored four third-period goals over 2:35 to secure a 7-3 win over the USA NTDP U17s (3-21-2-0, 8 pts) squad on Friday night.

After a USA goal tied the game at three under six minutes into the third period, the Fighting Saints' captain responded for Dubuque. Teddy Merrill scored at 10:10 of the third, his team-leading 24th goal, to put Dubuque ahead 4-3 and start a stretch of four goals in under three minutes.

Colin Frank's second of the game, and 23rd overall, came 1:19 later before Xavier Lieb's sixth continued the scoring 47 seconds after that. Caden Dabrowski capped the scoring with his second-straight multi-goal performance, scoring his second of the game 29 seconds after Lieb's tally.

Frank scored his first in the opening period on a power play, while Dabrowski's first extended Dubuque's lead to 2-0 early in the second. Less than 30 seconds later, however, Dubuque allowed its first goal of the night and it was a 2-1 game after 3:21 of the second.

Charlie Arend scored a few minutes later on the power-play, helping Dubuque to a perfect night on special teams. Arend's 17th put the Saints up 3-1 and finished a 2-for-2 night on the power play.

After Arend's goal, USA scored two unanswered with one in the second and one early in the third to tie the game at 5:46 of the third.

The Saints killed all four USA power plays in the win and never trailed after Merrill's game-winner with 9:50 remaining.

Vojtech Hambálek made 15 saves on 18 shots in his 21st win of the season, while the Saints peppered Eli Winters in the USA net with 35 shots.

The teams meet again on Saturday to wrap up the four-game season series as Dubuque aims for a fourth win against the U17s.